addressing your classroom’s carbon footprint · addressing your classroom’s carbon footprint...

Addressing Your Classroom’s Carbon FootprintTeacher Resource PackPrimary Years - Middle Years

2Addressing Your Classroom’s Carbon Footprint Teacher Resource Pack

NRM Education The NRM Education Program is playing a critical role in contributing to the knowledge, skills and confidence of young people and educators to manage natural resources sustainably.This resource provides information and activities for students to learn about the greenhouse effect, climate change and their carbon footprint. Students work out how many trees they would need to plant to offset the carbon emissions produced in the classroom for a day, a week, a term or a year.For more information or to discuss opportunities for your school, contact your local NRM Education Coordinator:Upper MurrayNRM Education Coordinator

Natural Resources Centre

2 Wade Street

Berri SA 5343

Phone 08 8580 1820

Fax 08 8582 4488

Lower MurrayNRM Education Coordinator

Natural Resources Centre

110A Mannum Road

Murray Bridge SA 5253

Phone 08 8532 9134

Fax 08 8531 1843


ContentsUnit Overview Page 4

Introductory Lesson Page 5

Greenhouse Effect Information Page 5-7

Energy Use Lesson Page 8-9

Take Action Lesson Page 10

Energy Reducing Actions Page 11

Additional Activities Page 12

How to Read an Energy Meter Page 13-14

Curriculum Links Page 15

Resources Page 16

NRM Education Contact Details Page 17


Unit OverviewYear levels: Year 4 to Year 9

Learning areas: Science, Maths

Big ideas: Energy consumption contributes to increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and causes climate change. Actions can be taken to decrease energy use at home and school.

Sustainability organising ideas:

OI.3 Sustainable patterns of living rely on the interdependence of healthy social, economic and ecological systems.

OI.7 Actions for a more sustainable future reflect values of care, respect and responsibility, and require us to explore and understand environments.

OI.8 Designing action for sustainability requires an evaluation of past practices, the assessment of scientific and technological developments, and balanced judgments based on projected future economic, social and environmental impacts.

Students will know / understand / do:

• Understand how greenhouse gases contribute to the greenhouse effect and climate change• Identify sources of electricity, including renewable and non-renewable sources• Understand that human activities increase the amount of greenhouses gases in the atmosphere• Know how to audit energy use at home or school• Calculate how many trees need to be planted to offset their energy use• Suggest ways to reduce energy use at home or school• Implement actions to reduce energy useEssential questions:• Where do greenhouse gases come from?• What impact do greenhouse gases have on the Earth and our climate?• How much energy do we use at school or home?• How can we decrease our energy use?


Equipment• Large plastic sheet (available from hardware stores)

Step 1 - Introducing the greenhouse effectStand out in sun and talk about the weather and the sun’s rays. Ask the students what happens to the sun’s rays as they come down? (Sun is absorbed by ground, reflected by earth and atmosphere)

Ask the students how then Earth is kept at the right temperature? (By the atmosphere, including greenhouse gases)

Put the plastic sheet over the group and ask the students what they notice - they should feel the temperature rise.

Talk about the heat being trapped inside the sheet. Compare this to greenhouse gases – when they build up they trap heat in and don’t let it escape.

Nearly everything we do produces greenhouse gases (like driving cars, burning coal for electricity, methane etc), which help build up the layer. Talk about ways to produce electricity without producing greenhouse gases - solar, wind, hydro, etc.

Step 2Using a diagram of the greenhouse effect, discuss the process and effects. See the following pages for information.

Introductory Lesson

Background information - the Greenhouse EffectThe Greenhouse Effect is the reason we can exist on this planet. The amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere needs to be at the right level so our planet stays at a temperature we can live in. The amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere determines the temperature of the planet. The Greenhouse Effect is responsible for warming the surface of planet Earth.

Water is found in all three states on our planet: solid (ice and snow), liquid (oceans, lakes, rivers and rain), and gas (water vapour, steam and clouds). It helps regulates heat on the surface of the planet and keeps the Earth at the right temperature so we can survive.

Imagine if our Earth was much colder. The liquid water would turn to ice and we could not drink it and the Earth would probably be too cold for us to live on. If our Earth was too hot, more water would evaporate. Many plants and animals could not survive.


The Greenhouse Effect works by the following mechanisms:• The sun emits radiation.• Some radiation is reflected by the atmosphere and clouds in the atmosphere.• Some radiation reaches the surface of the Earth (the surface includes land, icecaps and

oceans).• Some of the radiation that reaches the surface of the Earth is absorbed by the surface of

the Earth.• Some of the radiation that reaches the surface of the Earth is reflected back out into the

atmosphere and is trapped by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.• The radiation that is trapped by greenhouse gases stays near the Earth and so the surface

of the Earth is warmed.A good analogy is a car windscreen. A car that is left in the sun with the doors closed and the windows up gets very hot. The glass of the windscreen lets heat in but the heat that is reflected back by the seats and the interior of the car is trapped by the glass windscreen.


The following are greenhouse gases in the atmosphere:

• Water Vapour

• Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

• Ozone

• Methane

• Nitrous Oxide

• CFCs (Chloro Fluoro Carbons)

• HCFCs (Hydrochlorofluorocarbons)

• HFCs (Hydrofluorocarbons)

• Halons

• Carbon Tetrachloride

• Perflourocarbons

The more greenhouse gases (including CO2) that are in the atmosphere, the more heat is trapped near the Earth and the warmer the surface of the planet. When more greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere and more heat is trapped it is called the Increased Greenhouse Effect. The more heat that is trapped, the warmer the Earth becomes and this is called Global Warming.

Increases in Greenhouse Gas EmissionsOver its history, the Earth has gone through really cold periods and really hot periods, and there have been mass extinctions. The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere determines the temperature of the Earth. Over the past 400,000 years the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere has changed and there have been changes in the temperature of the Earth. There has been a natural cycle of heating and cooling.

Nearly everything we do produces greenhouse gases. The greenhouse gases we make are called greenhouse emissions. A car produces greenhouse gases: they are part of the gases that come out of the exhaust pipe. Making electricity produces greenhouse gases. Clothes, computers, TVs, furniture in houses and in schools, the food we eat, the things we buy and the things that we use such as roads and buildings, all have greenhouse gas emissions associated with them.

The release of greenhouse gases by human activities has caused the temperature of the Earth to increase. This increase is not part of the natural heating and cooling cycle. Humans have caused this change and therefore, humans need to take action to stop this unnatural heating from continuing.


Step 1 - Audit your energy useEquipment:

• Calculating Electrical Items Energy Use Worksheet (see NRM Education website)

• Multifunction Energy Meter (available for loan from NRM Education staff)

Option 1Using the ‘Calculating Electrical Items Energy Use Worksheet’, students audit how much energy electrical items use in their classroom.

• Make a list of all of the electrical items you have in your classroom.

• Estimate how many hours a day per week they are running.

• If they plug into a powerpoint use the Multifunction Energy Meter to work out their energy use in KWh and multiply by the number of hours used per day. (NRM Education has these available to borrow).

• If you can’t unplug them find the wattage and calculate the KWh by multiplying watts by hours used per day e.g. 100 w light bulb on for 8 hours per day: 100 x 8 = 800 / 1000 = 0.8 KWh / day.

• You need to do this for all of the electrical appliances in the class to work out your total electricity use each day.

Option 2• Students find the electricity meter for their selected area and record the reading. Read the meter

again a week later and use the difference to work out how much electricity is used in a week. Divide by 7 (days in a week) to work out the average energy use per day.

• See pages 13-14 to learn how to read an energy meter.

Energy Use Lesson


Step 2 - Calculate your carbon footprintOnce you know your total electricity use in KWh, use the calculation below to convert that into how much carbon dioxide would be produced generating that much electricity.

In South Australia, to convert from your KWh to carbon dioxide, multiply KWh by 0.98. (This figure of 0.98 is correct as of June 2010.)

ExampleA class using 10 KWh per day:

10 KWH x 0.98 = 9.8 kg of CO2 emitted per day

Multiply by the number of days in a school year (approx 200)

9.8 x 200 = 1960 kg of carbon emitted per year (= 1.96 t)

Step 3 - Calculate your carbon offsetDiscuss how trees take in carbon dioxide and convert it to oxygen. By planting trees, we can offset some of the carbon we produce and reduce the greenhouse effect.

In the SA Murray-Darling Basin region, an average conservative sequestration rate is 6.4 t per hectare per year so to determine the amount of land you need to plant:

Divide 1.96 (tonne) by 6.4 = 0.31 hectares

Between 600-1000 large tree species would fill a hectare in most landscapes, but again it will depend on the species, planting density and rainfall.

0.31 (hectares) x 800 (trees) = 248 trees need to be planted to offset your classroom’s emissions

As well as planting to offset your carbon emissions the planting could also assist the biodiversity of the area. A biodiverse carbon planting uses locally-sourced seed from ten to twenty native species that includes not only trees but also understorey shrubs and smaller plants. A plantation of this type provides a wider range of habitat for native birds, mammals and reptiles. With many of our native species decreasing in population size due to loss of habitat, a biodiverse carbon planting will contribute to maintaining these species through the provision of native habitat.

For information on species for your local area, sourcing of trees, seed collection and propagating and spacing of trees contact your NRM Education Coordinator or Local Action Planning (LAP) Officers.

Energy Use Lesson continued


Step 1 - Take action• Using the ‘Classroom Energy Audit Worksheet’ (available from the NRM Education website), audit

your classroom to see where you can reduce energy use.

• Decide on an energy reducing action(s) for the following weeks (see Energy Reducing Actions on page 11 for ideas)

• Implement the action(s).

• One week later read your meter or recalculate your energy use and record.

• Have you saved any electricity? What factors may have influenced this e.g. weather, public holiday?

• Repeat your actions and record over the following weeks to look for trends.

• Share your recordings and actions with other classes and your families. Encourage other classes to take up your actions. Talk with your family about implementing actions at home and recording results.

Step 2 - Follow up discussion• Why is it important to reduce our energy use?

• Is it just families and schools who need to reduce their energy use?

• How could this class, this school, or this town reduce their energy use?

• How could we let others know how important it is to reduce energy use?

• What benefits could come from reducing energy use?

• What may happen if we can not reduce our energy use?

Take Action Lesson


Light action• Turn off the lights when you are not using them. Just switching off at recess and lunchtime can

save a lot of energy. Check the hallways and other shared spaces.

• Open the blinds to let in natural light and maybe you won’t need to turn on so many lights.

• Design a small sticker to display next to your light switches to remind people to turn them off when they leave a room.

• Investigate getting lights on timers.

Cool ideas• When the cooler or heater is on keep the doors, windows and blinds closed.

• Only use heaters when there is someone in the room.

• Check the settings on your thermostat. Winter heating should be set at 21°C and summer cooling at 25°C.

• Check for draughts coming through gaps around windows and doors by holding a tissue up near the gap and seeing if it moves. Talk to your teacher about how to plug the gaps.

Electrical appliances• Even when electrical appliances are not being used they still use power, even if they are switched

to standby. We need to turn appliances off not only from their remote control, but also at the powerpoint to avoid wasting electricity.

• Design a small sticker to display next to your powerpoints to remind people to turn them off when they leave a room.

Power down• Make sure all computers are turned off when not in use. Screen savers do not save energy!

• Monitors use a lot of energy, so ensure they are switched off. New computers have a function setting which automatically switches off the computer and/or monitor after a set amount of time. Investigate these options by going to your computer’s control panel.

• Ensure printers and photocopiers are switched off at night and on weekends. Check to see if they have an ‘Energy Saver’ setting and make sure people know how to use it.

Other Tips• Investigate getting solar panels or switching to green energy.

• Check for leaky taps. Dripping hot water taps use energy with each drop as well as wasting water.

• Appoint a ‘Power Ranger’ in each class. This person is responsible to make sure everything is turned off each day. Everyone should have a turn at being the Power Ranger.

• Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. The three R’s are a great way to save money, energy and waste.

Energy Reducing Actions


Investigate how electrical energy is generated in Australia and around the world

Identify how electricity is generated in Australia and around the world. Classify the sources as renewable or non-renewable. Explore how the use of different sources has changed over time. Research the energy targets of Australia and other countries; for example, which countries are aiming to increase their use of renewable energy sources?

Investigate climate change policies in Australia and around the world

Find out about Australia’s current climate change policy. Research former policies and the targets of different interest groups in Australia. Compare Australia’s policy to other countries. What do you think Australia’s climate change policy should be?

New energy sources

Investigate new ways people are trying to generate electricity e.g. methane generators. How do these new systems work and how could they be used in Australia?

Imagine a new way of generating energy and create of poster or brochure about it.

The impact of climate change

Select one impact of climate change and explore it in-depth e.g. impact on food production, biodiversity, travel, housing, where people live.

Designing an energy efficient home or school

Design a classroom/school or house that is energy efficient. Use catalogues or the internet to research energy efficient appliances. Research which building materials use the least amount of energy to produce.

Additional Activities


How to Read an Energy MeterYou can easily measure how many kilowatts (kWh) you use in a day, a week, or any other period, by reading your meter at the start and finish of the period.

Clockface MetersTo read your meter, stand directly in front of the meter, start reading from left to right, obtaining one number from each clock face. When the hand is between two numbers, always write down the lesser of the two, not necessarily the closer. (The exception is when the hand is between 9 and 0, in which case you write down 9).

In the example below, if the first hand has not passed 0, the number 5 has not actually been reached and so the reading is the lower number, which is 4. The total reading is therefore 04980 (which is 4,980 kWh).

EMS2100 Electronic MeterWhen the Display button is pressed, the meter will automatically scroll through a series of up to 20 displays. Each display will have a number on the left-hand side of the reading. As the meter scrolls through each display, note down the reading for the ‘03 Total kWh’.


How to Read an Energy MeterYou can easily measure how many kilowatts (kWh) you use in a day, a week, or any other period, by reading your meter at the start and finish of the period.

EMS2600 Electronic MeterWhen the Display button is pressed, the meter will automatically scroll through a series of up to 20 displays. Each display will have a number on the left-hand side of the reading. As the meter scrolls through each display, note down the reading for ‘05 Total kWh’.

Digital MeterTo obtain a reading from your digital meter, simply read the digits from left to right.


Curriculum LinksYear Content Description

4 Earth’s surface changes over time as a result of natural processes and human activity (ACSSU075)

4 Science knowledge helps people to understand the effect of their actions (ACSHE062)

6 Energy from a variety of sources can be used to generate electricity (ACSSU219)

6 Science involves testing predictions by gathering data and using evidence to develop explanations of events and phenomena (ACSHE098)

6 Scientific understandings, discoveries and inventions are used to solve problems that directly affect peoples’ lives (ACSHE100)

6 Scientific knowledge is used to inform personal and community decisions (ACSHE220)

7 Some of Earth’s resources are renewable, but others are non-renewable (ACSSU116)

7 Science and technology contribute to finding solutions to a range of contemporary issues; these solutions may impact on other areas of society and involve ethical considerations (ACSHE120)

8 Science and technology contribute to finding solutions to a range of contemporary issues; these solutions may impact on other areas of society and involve ethical considerations (ACSHE135)

9 People can use scientific knowledge to evaluate whether they should accept claims, explanations or predictions (ACSHE160)

The activities also use Science Inquiry Skills in all year levels, including Planning and Conducting (carrying out the energy audit and energy saving activities to see if they can make a difference) and Communicating (sharing their observations and results). See ACARA for details.

4 Construct suitable data displays, with and without the use of digital technologies, from given or collected data. Include tables, column graphs and picture graphs where one picture can represent many data values (ACMSP096)

5 Pose questions and collect categorical or numerical data by observation or survey (ACMSP118)

6 Interpret and compare a range of data displays, including side-by-side column graphs for two categorical variables (ACMSP147)

7 Identify and investigate issues involving numerical data collected from primary and secondary sources (ACMSP169)

9 Identify everyday questions and issues involving at least one numerical and at least one categorical variable, and collect data directly and from secondary sources (ACMSP228)

Note 1: the curriculum links listed here are the ones most closely related to the lessons, but the list is not exhaustive and there may be links to other learning areas, strands and year levels which are also fulfilled by these lesson ideas.Note 2: curriculum links are not included for Additional Activities. Please refer to ACARA for relevant links if you undertake any of these activities.Note 3: links can be made to other subject areas including English (Creating texts), Civics and Citizenship (Problem solving and decision making) and Geography. Refer to ACARA.Note 4: For Cross-curriculum priorities and General capabilities, check the Content Descriptions at ACARA.

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http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Curriculum/ContentDescription/ACSSU075

http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Curriculum/ContentDescription/ACSHE062









http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Curriculum/ContentDescription/ACMSP096






NRM Education ResourcesOur Carbon FootprintStudents play a game and make choices about the lifestyle they want in the future. They then calculate their carbon emissions, based on their choices.

Visit the Natural Resources SAMDB website for this resource and more: www.naturalresources.sa.gov.au/samurraydarlingbasin

Useful WebsitesThe following websites contain information, resources, activities and interactive games associated with the climate change and its issues:

Climate Change: www.climatechange.gov.au/

The Federal Government’s site on climate change.

Sustainable and Attainable: www.sustainableschools.sa.edu.au/

DECD website with information and resources on climate change.

SA Power Networks: www.sapowernetworks.com.au/

Includes information about electricity in the ‘Education’ section.

Bureau of Meteorology: www.bom.gov.au/climate/change/

Information, trends, maps and data sets to track climate change.

The Climate Reality Project: http://educators.climatereality.org.au/

Terrific educational resources that explore climate change and what can be done.

CSIRO’s CarbonKids: www.csiro.au/Portals/Education/Teachers/Classroom-activities/CarbonKids/Carbon-Kids.aspx

An educational program that combines the latest in climate science with education in sustainability.

World Wildlife Fund: www.wwf.org.au/our_work/people_and_the_environment/human_footprint/footprint_calculator/

Fantastic footprint calculator to work out how many planets are required to support your lifestyle.

EPA (USA): www.epa.gov/climatestudents/index.html

An American site, but good information about climate change aimed at students.

Operation Coolenation: www.carbonplanet.com/operation_coolenation

A fun resource that helps communicate the science of climate change, the issues, and the solutions.

Natural Resources, SA Murray-Darling Basin: www.naturalresources.sa.gov.au/samurraydarlingbasin

Information about managing natural resources in the SA Murray-Darling Basin region.

Home Energy ToolkitContains instruments for students to identify, measure, monitor and audit energy patterns at school or at home. Includes a Multifunction Energy Meter.

Available for loan from the NRM Education team.

Resources

Upper MurrayNRM Education CoordinatorNatural Resources Centre2 Wade Street Berri SA 5343Phone 08 8580 1820Fax 08 8582 4488

Lower MurrayNRM Education CoordinatorNatural Resources Centre110A Mannum Road Murray Bridge SA 5253 Phone 08 8532 9134Fax 08 8531 1843

Contact Details

addressing your classroom’s carbon footprint · addressing your classroom’s carbon footprint...

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